


Meremy Ever After

by yer_a_jedi_sammy



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, Angst without a happy ending, Christine Canigula & Michael Mell Friendship, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Eventual Boyf riends, Eventual Relationships, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Michael Mell Has Two Moms, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, So much angst, Suicide Attempt, but why would i do that, i was gonna make this happy at the end, i'd like yall to meet paul and hannah, jeremy heere's mom is not ok, so i didnt know the names of jeremy's parents, so i kind of just named them, when we could all just suffer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-03-07 02:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18863584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yer_a_jedi_sammy/pseuds/yer_a_jedi_sammy
Summary: After the SQUIPcident, Michael notices that something is off with Jeremy. When something terrible happens to his best friend, Michael vows to do whatever he can to help Jeremy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you all know TW: suicide attempt

It had been a week. Michael felt like he had counted down every second of that week. The doctors told him Jeremy would be fine tomorrow, then in two days, then a week. Well, it’d been a week. As he walked the mile to the hospital, he felt that nagging voice in the back of his mind. What if he didn’t really want to see Jeremy? Or, even worse, what if Jeremy didn’t want to see him? He shook his head and turned up his music, drowning out his thoughts with Marley’s voice. He didn’t want to think, he just wanted to see his friend.

“What did you say your name was?” the receptionist peered at Michael over her glasses.

“Michael. Mell. I’m pretty sure I’m on the visitation list…” Michael’s voice faltered. He was pretty sure Mr. Heere had put his name on the list when Jeremy had been admitted, hadn’t he? Michael was suddenly uncertain. “I’m sorry, I’ll just go. Sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh, no, hang on, you said Mell? I was looking for Bell. My apologies, Mr. Mell.” she laughed, but it was strained and lacked feeling. “Your friend is on the second floor, room 216. He hasn’t been very responsive, but maybe you’ll get something.”

Michael nodded and headed to the elevator, the events that led him to this place running through his mind for the umpteenth time.

 

After the SQUIPs had been deactivated, each person had slowly become more and more like themselves. Everything seemed to be going well. Chloe and Brooke were closer than ever, Jenna had real friends, and Jake’s parents came home. Michael noticed that Jeremy was more distant than he had been, but decided that he probably just needed time to recover. After Jeremy went on his first date with Christine, he seemed to be waking up, as if from a trance. The first day his smiled at Michael in the hallway, his heart nearly exploded. But, of course, it was too good to be true. Everyone else had lingering problems after the SQUIPcident, but Jeremy seemed good as new. For some time.

Christine ultimately decided that she’d rather be memorizing her scripts than watching movies with Jeremy. It was nothing personal, she said. She just wasn’t interested in dating. She shook Jeremy’s hand, not sure how else to end it, and walked away. Things changed after that day.

Jeremy was different. Michael, having known Jeremy the longest, noticed it first, but chalked it up to Jeremy having just been broken up with and dealing with it in his own way. But when Rich came to him one day after school and expressed his concern over Jeremy, Michael knew that this wasn’t just about Christine.

So Michael did the only thing he knew: he invited Jeremy to come over and play video games after school. Jeremy agreed, but he didn’t seem to be fully there. Michael clasped his shoulder for a moment before walking to his next class.

At three o’clock, Michael was excited for Jeremy to come over. He wanted it to be like old times, playing the Apocalypse saga and just hanging out, late into the night.

At three-thirty, Michael was confused, but hopeful. He thought that maybe Jeremy was running late, or doing homework. He didn’t want to seem pushy, so he kept waiting.

At four o’clock, Michael was worried. Jeremy was never this late to anything, ever. His heart pounding, he raced to Jeremy’s house, pounding on the door, out of breath, when he arrived. Mr. Heere opened the door, looking surprised to see him.

“Michael! It’s nice to see you. Jeremy must’ve forgotten to mention that you were coming over. He’s up in his room doing homework.”

“Thanks, Mr. Heere,” Michael said quickly, rushing past him and scrambling up the stairs to Jeremy’s room. Just before he entered the room, he noticed that the bathroom door was closed. Michael peeked into Jeremy’s room, quickly scanning it to make sure Jeremy wasn’t in there, before heading back to the bathroom and knocking on the door.

“Hey, Jere, you in there?” Michael waited for an answer before knocking again. “Jere, buddy, it’s me, Michael. You okay in there?” Still nothing. Michael knocked slightly harder and to his surprise, the door swung open. Tentatively, Michael walked inside. “Jere? I-”

He stopped cold in the doorway. Jeremy was slumped over in the bathtub, a razor blade in one hand and an empty bottle of Tylenol tablets in the other. His breathing was shallow, but thank fuck he was still breathing, Michael thought to himself.

“Mr. Heere!” Michael screamed at the top of his lungs. “Mr. Heere, come up here, now!”

The rest of the day was a blur. Mr. Heere scrambled up the stairs, dropping to his knees beside Jeremy when he saw him. “Call 9-1-1!” he screamed at Michael. Michael did, his hands shaking. He was ushered out of the house by paramedics, and watched from afar as the ambulance sped away with Jeremy and his father inside. Michael walked back to his house, tears streaming down his face endlessly. Please let him be okay, he pleaded silently.

 

Michael stared at the dull 217 on the otherwise blank door. He hadn’t seen Jeremy since the incident and was afraid of who he’d find on the other side of the door. He knew that physically, Jeremy was doing better, as they’d discharged him from the city hospital after a week. But he went straight to an inpatient mental hospital, for unspecified reasons. Mr. Heere wouldn’t, or perhaps couldn’t, tell him anything else. He was, however, welcome to visit at any time.

The first few times Michael had tried, the doctors had told him that Jeremy wasn’t ready to have visitors. Michael couldn’t do anything but accept it and try again. But now that he was finally able to see him, he hesitated. Michael shook his head and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Jeremy was sitting at a desk near a window that was so securely shut, it looked like a prison. He was drawing, but his movements were slow and unsteady. He didn’t react to the door opening.

“Jeremy?” Michael whispered, keeping his distance in order to not frighten Jeremy.

Jeremy turned slowly to face him. His face was pale and expressionless. “I’m sorry, Michael. Jeremy can’t speak with you right now.”

“I’m- he- he can’t what?” Michael was bewildered.

Jeremy, or whoever he was, stood up and walked over to Michael, extending his hand. “I’m Cameron. Pleased to meet you.”

Michael shook his hand, still utterly confused. “I don’t mean to be rude but what in the fresh hell is going on?”

“You know what dissociative identity disorder is, right?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s can be caused by trauma…” Michael trailed off. “I think I understand.”

“Do you?” Cameron looked surprised. “Jeremy’s father was not nearly so quick to follow.”

“No, I think I’ve got it. The whole ordeal with the SQUIP was, quite frankly, hell. There’s no way Jeremy could’ve gotten away unscathed. He would mumbled about voices in his head and I thought it was the SQUIP, but I guess it was you.”

“Well, yes and no. Jeremy created me, in a sense, to deal with the abuse the SQUIP was dealing him. But you were right in your assumption that the SQUIP still lingers. Jeremy was drinking Mountain Dew Red daily to keep it at bay, but it wasn’t quite enough. The SQUIP taunts him mercilessly. It’s bad when he isn’t fronting, like right now, but it’s nothing compared to when he is. He hasn’t come out since we got here, because we don’t have access to Mountain Dew Red, and Jeremy is afraid of how much stronger the SQUIP has gotten. The doctors say we aren’t responsive and they aren’t wrong, exactly. Jeremy isn’t responsive. I am perfectly fine.”

“Is there any way to help him?” Michael whispered, suddenly scared.

Cameron sighed. “It’ll take time. A lot of time. The doctors have been trying but they don’t really understand the SQUIP, you see, so there isn’t a whole lot they can do right now.”

Michael sighed. “Well, at least they’re trying something.” he turned to leave, seriously doubting that he’d come back.

Cameron had sat back in his chair, but turned around when Michael reached the door.

“Michael?” Michael’s heart skipped a beat. The voice was so very Jeremy. “Please, come back soon. I miss you.”

Michael turned to look at him, his hand on the doorknob. “I will, Jere. I promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothing super heavy this time. it's some filler, leading up to some heavier stuff next chapter. implied suicide attempt but nothing explicit

“How was your visit with Jeremy, Micah?” Michael’s mom asked him when he walked inside his house.

Michael looked up and opened his mouth to answer her, but broke down in sobs instead. His mom wrapped her arms around him. “What is it, Micah? Is Jeremy okay?”

“I don’t know,” Michael whispered between sobs. “I didn’t really get to talk to him much.”

Mrs. Mell nodded. “Mr. Heere did tell me. Jeremy was recently diagnosed with DID, right?”

MIchael nodded. “Why did he tell you, and not me?”

“I don’t know, Micah. I’m sorry.” she hugged him tighter.

“I miss him, mama,” Michael whispered.

“I know,” she whispered back. “I miss him too. But you know what?”

“What?” he looked up at her.

“Mr. Heere called me today, absolutely thrilled. He told me to tell you that after you left, he went to check on Jeremy and he actually got to talk to Jeremy for a few minutes. He wanted me to thank you.” Mrs. Mell beamed at him.

“That’s good,” Michael whispered to himself. “So he can get better!”

Mrs. Mell sighed. “Well, Michael, that’s a difficult question. Jeremy will never be as he was when you were children, you understand that. But you two will learn to work with his condition, instead of against it.”

“I’ll do anything to help him,” Michael swore.

“I know you will, honey. That’s why I’m worried about you.”

 

When Michael got to school the next day, he knew immediately that something had happened. The usual roar of conversation was reduced to a soft hum. After a quick glance, Michael determined that Rich and Jake were both missing.

“Jenna,” he whispered to the girl standing nearest him. If anyone would know what was going on, it’d be Jenna. “What’s going on? Where are Rich and Jake?”

Jenna turned to face MIchael and he was shocked to see tears in her eyes. “Oh, Michael, it’s awful,” she whispered. “Word got out about what happened to Jeremy. Rich thought it was all his fault for convincing him to get a SQUIP. Jake did everything he could, but…” she trailed off, shaking her head.

“No,” Michael whispered. “No, it can’t be. Not Rich too. God, why are these fucking pills from Japan fucking up our lives.” Michael tipped his head up towards the sky and screamed, “just leave us alone!”

“Michael, it’s gonna be alright,” Jenna began.

“No, it’s not!” Michael snapped. “My best friend is in a hospital for God knows how long, Rich could be dead, and everyone else is fucked beyond repair!”

Jenna slowly backed away from Michael, not wanting to be the target of his rage. Michael clenched his fists and took a couple deep breaths. In the span of just a few days, his life had become a living hell. It wasn’t worth going to school anymore. Not like this. The only thing that mattered was Jeremy.

 

“Yes, Michael, I understand that you’re worried about Jeremy, but you can’t just drop out of school,” Ms. Mell said firmly.

“But mom, you don’t understand,” Michael pleaded. “I need to help him!”

“You can help him. But you can’t sacrifice your future for him.” Michael opened his mouth to retort, and his mother raised her hand to stop him. “Enough, Michael. That’s my last word on this subject. You are not dropping out of school.” Ms. Mell walked away, leaving Michael angry in the middle of the kitchen.

“She doesn’t fucking get it,” Michael grumbled to himself. “I can’t believe she’s prioritizing me over Jeremy.”

“Why wouldn’t she?” a soft voice asked from the doorway. Michael looked up in surprise, to see his other mother standing there. “You’re our son, Micah. Of course we’re going to prioritize you over Jeremy, or anyone else.”

“But mama,” Michael argued. “I prioritize Jeremy over myself.”

“I know you do, Micah, but at some point you need to think about your own life. You had this whole life planned out with Jeremy, I know you did, but that won’t be able to happen if Jeremy keeps going down the path that he’s on.” the way Mrs. Mell said it made the hair on the back of Michael’s neck stand up in fear.

“What do you mean?” he asked nervously.

Mrs. Mell sighed and led Michael to the living room, sitting down next to him on the couch. “I was talking with Mr. Heere this morning,” she began. “And he told me some very concerning news.”

“What?” Michael whispered, leaning towards his mother, his eyes already filling with tears.

Mrs. Mell sighed. “Jeremy is… more unstable than previously suspected. The doctors are uncertain about his future.”

“Are you saying he’s gonna die?!” Michael screeched, beside himself. “He can’t die!”

“No one knows for sure,” Mrs. Mell said gently, trying to soothe her son. “The doctors are just less optimistic than they previously were, as they went to see Jeremy one morning and found that he had manifested another identity, a very aggressive and violent man, named Jason. They are concerned that Jason has the potential to be detrimental to Jeremy’s recovery.”

Michael was quiet for some time. “Can I visit him, mama?” he whispered at last.

“You can visit him as much as you wish, but only if you stay in school and prepare yourself for your future. I know you wanted to go to college,” Mrs. Mell said firmly.

Michael nodded slowly. “Deal.” he stood up and headed to the front door, pulling on his coat on the way.

“Micah,” Mrs. Mell said softly, as Michael reached the door. “Be safe.”

“I will, mama,” Michael promised as he left.

 

As he was walking, an idea occurred to Michael. Instead of turning left to go to the mental hospital Jeremy was in, he walked straight, to the medical hospital where he suspected Rich and possibly Jake were.

When he arrived, the hospital loomed larger than he remembered and he shuddered, suddenly wary of the building. Michael took a deep breath before entering, heading straight to the receptionist’s desk.

“Hi, erm, was Richard Goranski admitted here in the past few days?” Michael asked nervously.

“Richard Goranski,” the receptionist repeated slowly. “Gillian, Gonan, oh, Goranski. Richard Goranski. Yes, he was admitted a few days ago. But he isn’t allowed to have any visitors at the moment. Only family. I’m very sorry.”

Michael nodded understandingly. “What about Jacob Dillinger? Was he admitted at any point?”

The receptionist scanned her computer. “No, I’m sorry sir, there is no Dillenger in our records.”

“Okay,” Michael said quietly. “Thanks for the help.”

The receptionist nodded and turned to help the next person in line. Michael stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked outside, finally heading to the other hospital to see Jeremy.

 

“Oh, it’s you.” the receptionist at the mental hospital said when Michael walked towards her. “You’re the miracle boy.”  
“I’m the what?” Michael asked, utterly bewildered.

“The miracle boy,” she repeated. “The one who got the notoriously silent Jeremy Heere to talk.”

“Oh,” Michael murmured. “Well, can I go up and see him?”

She frowned nervously. “I’m sorry, Mr. Mell. Mr. Heere isn’t really fit to see anyone right now.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Michael whispered, horrified.

“We all hope so. But we don’t know for sure. Why don’t you come back in a few days to check up on him?”

Michael nodded, feeling numb. He walked back home, his mind filled with all the awful things that could have happened to Jeremy that rendered him “unfit for visitors”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading i honestly didn't expect this to get much attention but i was pleasantly surprised!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised angst but this is like a little bit of pre-angst before the main meal

Michael didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to answer his mothers’ questions, or see the worry in their eyes. Any other time he hadn’t wanted to go home, he’d gone to Jeremy’s. Even now, his feet headed towards the Heere’s house, but Michael had to stop himself, realizing, a lump forming in his throat, that there was nothing there for him. Mr. Heere wouldn’t be home; he was working so many jobs to take care of Jeremy that he was rarely home. And Jeremy, well, of course he wouldn’t be there. For a split second, Michael considered going anyway, and reliving all of the memories he’d had with Jeremy. But he knew he couldn’t. Chances were good that Mr. Heere had locked the door, and Michael wasn’t about to break into his best friend’s house. So Michael kept walking, not really paying attention to where he was, until he found himself in front of Christine’s house.

Before he could even walk up the front steps, never mind knock, Christine opened the door. “Hey, Michael. You look lost. Do you want to come inside?”

Michael nodded, realizing that he had barely spoken to Christine at school and now she was inviting him into her house, no questions asked. He was touched by her generosity.

“Today seems to be the day that sad boys come to my house,” Christine said. It was phrased like a joke, but Christine looked dead serious.

“What do you mean? Who else is here?” Michael asked, his voice hoarse from disuse.

“You’re the only one here right now. But Jake was here earlier today. He was in a worse state than you, though. Higher than the Empire State and didn’t stop crying the whole time.”

“That’s rough,” Michael murmured, shaking his head. “Was he doing any better when he left?”

Christine hesitated. “In a sense. I think he’ll be fine, eventually. Especially since Rich survived.”

Michael nodded in agreement. “I don’t know why I’m here,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to go home, so I went to Jeremy’s, but he’s obviously not there, so I just kept walking. And now I’m here.”

Christine nodded, a small smile on her lips. “That’s usually how people end up here. No one ever means to, but everyone’s done it.”

“Oh,” Michael mumbled, not sure what to say to her. “What do people do when they come?”

“Depends on the person. You’d probably want to play video games, right?”

“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “The only person I’ve ever played video games with is Jeremy and it’s sort of a sacred thing, you know?”

Christine nodded. “I get it. Do you like to bake? We can make some cookies or brownies or something and then watch some movies. Just hang out for a while and get your mind off the hard stuff. Do your moms know where you are?”

“No, but I’ll tell them.” Michael smiled. “And that sounds great. I used to help my mom back all the time when I was young, but it’s been a while. It’d be awesome to just chill with you for a while.”

Christine shuddered, her bubbly attitude momentarily absent. “Don’t use that word, please,” she said quietly.

“Oh!” Michael flushed with embarrassment. He’d forgotten how most people felt about the word “chill”. “I’m so sorry, Christine.”

Christine smiled again, the darkness gone as quickly as it came. “It’s alright. It’s not like you did it on purpose.”

“Right,” Michael agreed. “Oh, my mom responded, she said it’s alright for me to stay over.”

“Wonderful!” Christine bounded into the kitchen. “Let’s get started!”

 

As they mixed the cookie batter, a nagging thought finally made itself known in Michael’s mind. “Christine, where are your parents?” he asked softly.

Christine turned to him, her eyes shining. “They’re on a date! Isn’t that sweet? Still going on dates after twenty-seven years of marriage.”

Michael relaxed. “Oh, that’s nice! My moms haven’t been on a date in years. But, they never really went out much anyway.”

Christine nodded. “It’s funny, we all think of love as being this Thing that everyone experiences, but everyone experiences it differently. It’s fascinating.”  
“Your parents go out, mine stay in,” Michael agreed.

“You play video games and get high,” Christine continued his list, smiling knowingly at Michael.

“I- I what? I’m not in love, what do you-” Michael realized what Christine was implying. “I’m not in love with Jeremy!”

Christine looked at him sadly. “Oh, Michael. I can’t tell if you really haven’t realized, or if you just know that right now isn’t a good time to romantically pursue Jeremy.”

Michael thought for a moment. “Well shit,” he finally said. “I’ll be damned. I am in love with Jeremy. But you’re right. He’s not in a place for that. Hell, I don’t think I am. I’m not going to mention it.”

“A wise decision. Now, let’s get these cookies in the oven so we can start the movie.”

 

“Michael Mell, I don’t care how many times you say it, Shang is not hotter than Mulan,” Christine laughed, poking Michael’s arm. “You can’t change my mind.”

“Fine!” Michael was laughing as well. “But here’s the real question: Shrek or Fiona?”

Christine snorted, taking a moment to compose herself before she could answer. “Fiona, for sure. I’d visit her swamp any day.”

“Christine!” Michael shrieked, cackling. “That’s nasty! And Fiona doesn’t even have a swamp. She has a tower. The swamp is still Shrek’s.”

“Whatever,” Christine laughed. There was a few moments of comfortable silence before Christine spoke again. “We should probably get some sleep. We have to go to school tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah,” Michael muttered. “School has changed a lot.”

“I know,” Christine murmured. “Good thing we’re seniors this year.”

“Right,” Michael agreed, perking up. He burrowed into the cocoon of blankets he had created on the floor, as Christine curled up in her bed. “G’night, Christine.”

“Good night, Michael,” she mumbled back, already half asleep.

 

*Michael stood at the top of the staircase, his heart pounding. He knew this house, and yet it was completely foreign to him. It was Jeremy’s house, but also, not. It was eerie. Michael took a tentative step forward, the floorboards creaking under his feet. Jeremy’s floor never creaked like that. As he walked, he noticed that the door he was approaching had a red liquid seeping out from under it. Blood. Michael began walking faster, but the door stayed the same distance away. He began to run, managing to move faster than the floor and caught it at last, grabbing the doorknob. As soon as he touched it, an ear splitting scream came from the other side of the door. It was Jeremy’s voice, but twisted. The way he had screamed when he deactivated his SQUIP. Michael screamed back to him, but his own voice was nearly a whisper, compared to Jeremy’s agonized screams. Michael shook the doorknob, screaming all the while, begging the door to open. He fell into the room and landed on his knees next to Jeremy. Jeremy’s face was white and taut and his eyes were glassy, but his mouth was wide open, the terrible scream issuing from it. Michael noticed, panicked, that Jeremy was bleeding. He frantically tried to stem the flow but the harder he tried, the more blood there was. It was filling the room. Jeremy was completely submerged and Michael was seconds away from the same fate. The blood rose, covering his head, the scream still ringing in his ears as he drowned.*

 

Michael’s eyes flew open and the scream abruptly stopped when he closed his mouth. He was tangled in the nest he had built for himself the night before and Christine was crouched next to him, staring at him with concern. “Fine,” he said quickly, waving away her questions. “Just a nightmare. I’ve been having them a lot lately.”

“Michael…” Christine began, frowning with concern.

Michael stood up quickly, dissuading her speech. “Thanks so much for letting me crash here, but I gotta get home to get my school stuff.” he headed to the door. “See you later, Christine.”

“Bye, Michael.” she waved at him as he left.

 

“Did you have fun with your friend, honey?” Mrs. Mell asked when Michael got home.

“Yeah, we watched some movies. It was nice,” Michael responded vaguely as he gathered his school supplies.

“I’m really glad you’re making new friends, Micah,” she said, smiling. “We’ve always been worried about you, since you only ever had Jeremy.”

Michael was suddenly filled with unprompted rage. “Are you saying there’s something wrong with my friendship with Jeremy?” he growled.

Mrs. Mell looked shocked. “No, not at all. I’m just glad you’re making new friends, that’s all.” she walked back into the kitchen. “Have a good day at school, Michael.”

Michael walked out the door, his anger replaced with burning shame. He hadn’t meant to snap at his mom. He didn’t know why he did. He was on the verge of running back to his house and apologizing when his phone rang. When he looked at the screen, he nearly dropped his phone in surprise. It was Mr. Heere.

“Hey, Mr. Heere. What’s going on?” Michael awkwardly answered the phone.

“Michael, I know you’re the last person I should be asking for help, but I need your help,” Mr. Heere stated bluntly.

“Sure, Mr. Heere. Whatever you need.” Michael had already turned around and made his way to Jeremy’s hospital.

“You’re the only one who was able to help Jeremy before. Maybe you’ll be able to help him again.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Michael began jogging, fear surging through his body.

“His violent identity has been fronting for a few days now and we’re all concerned for Jeremy’s safety. Please, Michael, if there’s anything you can do-”

“I’ll do whatever I can,” Michael promised, before hanging up the phone as he walked into the hospital. He walked past the receptionist, who simply nodded at him, and headed up through the elevator to Jeremy’s room. He paused in front of the door, as he heard nearly animalistic screams coming from inside. He took a deep breath, remembering his promise to Mr. Heere, and walked in.

Jeremy, or, Michael quickly corrected himself, Jason, was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes closed, howling at the ceiling. He stopped abruptly when he heard the door close and turned to Michael, a sinister smile on his face.

“You,” he whispered. His voice was deep and dangerous, but it was still Jeremy’s voice.

“Me,” Michael confirmed, making direct eye contact with Jason.

“Michael Mell. Michael Mell, go to hell,” he whispered, cocking his head to the side. “You ruined everything I was trying to do,” he whispered, taking a step forward. “All I wanted was to make him happy and you fucked it all up. I hate you.” he stepped even closer. “And you know what? Jeremy hates you too. He just wanted to be happy but you ruined it for him. He hates you, Michael Mell.” Jason reached toward Michael, his fingers inches from his throat. Michael gasped and fumbled for the doorknob, pleading for the person on the other side to hear him and open it. Thankfully, it did, and he stumbled out, falling on the floor outside. 

As soon as the door closed on Jason, the awful screeching started again. Michael covered his ears and bolted for the elevator, his thoughts racing. On one hand, he didn’t want to believe that Jeremy hated him. On the other hand, he really wouldn’t be surprised. He slid to the ground in the alleyway next to the hospital, all the memories of how Jeremy treated him flooding back as he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like christine and michael being wholesome friends what do y'all think?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's so much happening in this chapter. some boyf reinds fluff for your trouble

“Michael, are you alright?” Mr. Heere asked softly, crouching down next to Michael, who was bawling. When he didn’t answer, Mr. Heere gently helped him stand and brought him to his car. “I’m going to bring you home, Michael. I’m sure your mothers are worried about you.” Michael still didn’t answer and Mr. Heere started the car, driving as fast as he could.

Mr. Heere pounded his fist on the Mells’ front door, supporting Michael, who had fallen unconscious at some point. Mrs. Mell opened the door, the rage on her face immediately turning to concern when she saw Mr. Heere and her son. “Paul?” she said, shocked. “What happened?”

Mr. Heere shook his head. “I don’t know. I found him crying outside the hospital. He wouldn’t say anything to me and he passed out at some point on the drive here.”  
“Thank you for bringing him home,” Mrs. Mell said gratefully, taking Michael from Mr. Heere and softly closing the door.

 

Michael woke up in his bed, a deep exhaustion preventing him from moving. He tried to call for one of his moms, but his voice was weak. Even so, they both ran into the room within seconds. “Mom? Mama?” he whispered. “What’s going on?”

Neither answered at first, they both just hugged him tightly. At last, Mrs. Mell spoke. “Mr. Heere came by last night and dropped you off. You were unconscious and you stayed that way til just now. We were so worried, Micah.”

“He brought me from the hospital,” Michael murmured, his memories flooding back. He gasped. “Jeremy!” he tried to climb out of bed, but Ms. Mell stopped him.

“You aren’t going anywhere, Michael. You’ve been unconscious for nearly twelve hours. You need to go to a doctor.”

“But I-” Michael sighed, seeing the look on his mom’s face. “Fine,” he mumbled, pulling on a pair of socks.

 

“Well, I’m pleased to report that your son is quite healthy,” the doctor said, smiling. “As far as the loss of consciousness goes, I’m willing to bet his body experienced a large shock, or a lot of stress, or something on that level, and needed time to recover. If it happens again, by all means let me know, but he’s good to go.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Mell said, smiling with relief. “Now, Michael, I know you wanted to see Jeremy, but I really don’t want you going alone. There appears to be a really good sushi restaurant nearby, so we’ll drop you off at the hospital and then your mother and I will have a nice dinner.”

Michael smiled tensely. He wasn’t terribly eager to be alone in a room with Jeremy again, after the last time, but he was glad that his mothers would at least be close this time. “Sounds good.”

 

“Have a nice time, Micah!” Mrs. Mell called from the window as Michael entered the hospital. He turned briefly and waved as they drove away. Inside, he walked to the receptionist. 

“How’s Jeremy doing?” he asked nervously.

She smiled brightly. “Very well! The doctors find it a bit odd, that he went from so unstable to so calm this fast, but hey, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, right?”

“Right,” Michael agreed, relieved that there was good news for once. He headed to Jeremy’s room and walked in, without hesitating this time.

Jeremy was humming softly and appeared to be cleaning his room, even though there wasn’t much to clean. “Hey, Jere,” Michael called to him.

Jeremy turned and stared at Michael with an oddly paternal gaze. “Ah, you must be Michael. I’m Eric. Pleased to meet you.” Eric walked over to shake Michael’s hand.

Michael returned the gesture awkwardly. “Are you a dad or something?”

Eric laughed, a deep, warm laugh. Very different from Jeremy’s typical laugh. “Something like that. Now, don’t tell Mr. Heere, but Jeremy didn’t handle his, shall we say, parenting vacation, very well. In a sense, Jeremy doesn’t know this either, but I was the one who made his lunch every day, and made his bed, and made sure he took enough showers.”

“Oh,” Michael sighed softly. He knew Jeremy and his dad had some problems after Jeremy’s mom left, but he didn’t know it was that bad.

Eric glanced around. “Well, this is nice and orderly. Goodbye, Michael.” Michael expected him to walk away, but he just stood there, silent, for a moment.

“Michael? When did you get here?” Jeremy spoke suddenly, surprising Michael.

“Just a few minutes ago.” Michael hugged Jeremy tightly. “I missed you, buddy.”

“I missed you too, Michael,” Jeremy responded. He returned Michael’s hug and they stayed like that for some time.

“I made friends with Christine,” Michael mentioned.

“Oh, that’s nice! She’s sweet,” Jeremy said, smiling. He finally let go. “Micah, I don’t know when I’m gonna get out of here, so there’s something I want to tell you.”

Michael frowned, worried. “Okay.”

“Michael, I know this is completely unwarranted and it’s not like it’d ever be reciprocated but,” he paused, taking a deep breath. “Michael, you know when Rich wrote “boyf” on my backpack and “riends” on yours?”

“Um, yeah?” Michael wasn’t sure where Jeremy was going.

“Well, you put them together and you get “boyfriends”. So I was thinking, maybe you’d want to be my riend?”

Michael couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.

Jeremy looked crushed. “It’s not funny, Michael!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Jere,” Michael stopped laughing and put his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “I wasn’t laughing at you- okay, yes I was, but it’s because you’re adorable. Stop looking at me like that! Anyways, I was talking to Christine and I had this revelation that I liked you, romantically, too. But she said, and I agreed, that it wasn’t a good time to bring it up. But since you brought it up first,” Michael grinned and took Jeremy’s hands in his. “Jeremy Heere, I would be honored to be your riend.”

“Aw, hell yeah,” Jeremy exclaimed gleefully. “And you’re right, that does sound stupid out loud.”

Michael laughed again. “Yeah, it does. But it was an interesting way to put it. I’d almost forgotten about the boyf incident.”

Jeremy looked surprised. “How could you forget? Don’t you see Rich, like, every day?”

Michael hesitated. “No, I- I actually haven’t seen him in a while,” he said quietly.

Jeremy frowned. “What? Why not?”

“He’s in the hospital. I tried to go see him, but they said it was family only.”

“That’s never good. Do you know why?”

“Well,” Michael paused, stalling for time. “Jenna told me, but I didn’t find out a whole lot.”

“Michael. What happened to Rich.” Jeremy stared accusingly at him.

Michael sighed. “He tried to kill himself. Jake is pretty fucked up about it but I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Do you know why?” Jeremy whispered, shocked.

“No,” Michael lied unconvincingly.

“Michael,” he sighed. “Please tell me what happened to Rich.”

“He blamed himself for what happened to you,” Michael said quietly, avoiding Jeremy’s eyes. “I don’t know anything else, hell, I don’t even know if that’s true.”

Jeremy didn’t respond for a moment. When he spoke at last, Michael knew Jeremy was no longer the one fronting. “That’s really unfortunate, isn’t it.”

“Cameron?” Michael said slowly.

He nodded. “Yeah, good job, Michael. It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too, I guess,” Michael said slowly. “No offense, Cameron, but I’d rather see Jeremy than you.”

“None taken. Jeremy is your best friend and you barely know me.” Cameron smiled. “I’m sorry Jeremy just left like that, but he was overwhelmed and needed me to take over.”

“Oh no,” Michael whispered. “I hope he isn’t upset with me for overwhelming him.”

“I don’t believe he is. But you should probably leave, anyway. It’s getting late and I doubt Jeremy will be up for talking again today.”

“Okay,” Michael sighed. “Bye, Cameron.”

“Bye, Michael. Take care.”

 

“Hi, honey,” Mrs. Mell said when Michael climbed into the car. “How was your visit with Jeremy?”

“It was really nice, mama,” Michael answered, smiling. “He’s doing a lot better.”

“That’s wonderful! You know, Mr. Heere told me that if everything goes well, Jeremy should be home by the end of the week.”

“Awesome!” Michael exclaimed. “It’ll be nice to see him at school again.”

“Oh, honey, I don’t know if Jeremy is going to go back to school. Apparently Mr. Heere enrolled him in some online courses. I don’t know the whole story, but it seems like it’d be a better fit for him.”

“Oh,” Michael sighed, but perked up again. “Well, at least he’ll be home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this took so long to be posted lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is mostly filler and fluff, some crispy boyf riends, TW referenced suicide towards the end

Michael was on a mission. He was sitting in his attic, leafing through old pictures. He was determined to find every single picture of him and Jeremy together and make a scrapbook out of them, to give to Jeremy for Valentines day. With luck, Jeremy would be home by then.

“Micah? What are you doing up there?” Mrs. Mell called up the stairs.

“Just looking for pictures, mama,” he responded. He figured she’d be satisfied with that, but he was wrong.

“Pictures of what? Do you need any help? Are you making a mess up there?”

“Pictures of Jeremy and me, no thank you, and no, I’m not,” Michael called back, unnerved by the volume of questions.

“Are you sure, honey? I can help if you want.”

Michael sighed. “I’m fine, mama. What’s going on with you?”

“Well, I really want to do something nice for your mother for Valentine’s day, but I just don’t know what,” she admitted.

Michael smiled. His mom was one of the sweetest people he knew, but she wasn’t the most creative. “Do you need help, mama?”

A relieved sigh came from down the stairs. “If it isn’t too much trouble, Micah…”

“‘Couse not. I’ll be right down.” he stacked the pictures he had chosen in a small pile and put the rest in the box they’d come from. He’d finish that later.

“So, what were you thinking?” he asked, once he was at the bottom of the stairs.

“Well, see, I don’t really know,” she said awkwardly. “I want it to be something really special but I don’t have any good ideas.”

Michael thought for a moment, before an idea suddenly came to him. “Hasn’t Mom always wanted a dog?”

“Yes, but we decided that having a kid was enough work.” she smiled lovingly at Michael.

“I’m not a kid anymore, mama,” Michael reminded her with a grin. “I’m going to college next year. There’s no reason not to get a dog now.”

Mrs. Mell gasped. “You’re right! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll get a puppy for her. She’ll love it!” she hugged Michael before heading off to the living room.

Pleased, Michael went back to the attic. He quickly finished sorting through the pictures, choosing his favorite from the vast collection. He took the pile back to his room and put it on his desk, before taking the leather-bound journal out of his desk drawer. He had bought it for Jeremy after his breakup with Christine, in case Jeremy ever wanted to write about it or something. But one thing after another happened and Michael never ended up giving the journal to Jeremy. But that was alright, he reasoned. He figured Jeremy would like it better like this.

 

Michael didn’t know how much time had passed by the time he finally stood back and admired what he’d done. The book was a complete timeline of his and Jeremy’s friendship, from roughly four years old to sixteen. Michael smiled sadly at the last picture. It was him and Jeremy, asleep in Jeremy’s hospital bed, mere days after The Incident. Everything had changed after that point, and Michael assumed that’s why he had no more pictures. As he had only filled half the book, he wrote a note at the bottom of the page, reading, “more space for more memories. love, micah”. He just hoped Jeremy would be home by Valentines Day. He would, of course, he promised himself. He had to be. He’d been doing so well.

 

“Mama, I’m going to see Jere!” Michael yelled, before running out the door and hopping into his car. It had been nearly a week since he’d seen Jeremy and he couldn’t wait to visit him again. Additionally, Mr. Heere had hinted that Jeremy would be coming home this week, and Michael wanted to hear it from Jeremy himself. When he got to the hospital, he barely stopped by the receptionist’s desk before racing up the stairs, deciding that the elevator was too slow.

When he got to the door, he slowed down. He didn’t want to scare Jeremy by bursting into his room so suddenly. Gently, Michael opened the door and peered into the room. Jeremy was sitting on his bed, reading a book, a calm expression on his face. He looked up and smiled when he saw Michael open the door.

“Micah! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Jeremy ran over to Michael, wrapping him into a tight hug.

“Hi, Jere. I know, it’s been too long.” Michael hugged Jeremy back. “I missed you so much.”

“I’m coming home on Friday,” Jeremy whispered, looking up at Michael ecstatically. “Can you believe it, Micah? Only two more days.”

Michael beamed. “Jeremy! That’s amazing! God, it’s gonna be so good to have you back home.”

“I know, right?” Jeremy grinned, finally letting go of Michael. “First thing, when I get out, we’re playing the new Apocalypse game. Dad said he got it for me yesterday.”

“Apocalypse of the Saved? Hell yes. I've been dying to play that game. I heard its a fascinating twist on the original,” Michael said excitedly, clasping Jeremy’s hands.

Jeremy nodded. “What else is new? Anything interesting happen?”

“Brooke and Jenna celebrated their six-months yesterday. We threw them a lil party. Jake’s dog had puppies. Two boys and three girls. I haven’t seen them yet but I bet they’re adorable. My mom is gonna get my mom a puppy for Valentine’s day. She’s always wanted one.” Michael paused for a second. “And I made you a present. I was hoping you’d be home in time for me to give it to you. And you will!”

Jeremy smiled. “Tell Brooke and Jenna I said congrats. I can’t wait to see those puppies. Maybe your mom will get one of them?” He squeezed Michael’s hand. “Do I get to know what you made me or is it a surprise?”

“It’s a surprise, of course,” Michael told him, smiling fondly. “But you’re gonna love it.”

“Of course I will. You made it,” Jeremy said, returning the smile.

A knock on the door startled the boys and Michael hugged Jeremy sadly. “I’m sorry, Jere. I have to go. I told your dad I’d leave when he got here so he could talk to you privately.”

“Bye, Micah,” Jeremy whispered. “I’ll see you in two days.”

 

Two days. Or, as far as Michael was concerned, literal eternity. He felt like he’d been waiting centuries, but it was only Thursday morning. And, he suddenly realized, he was late for school. Michael couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually been on time. His mothers had stopped berating him about it, at this point. He was nearly out the door when he suddenly remembered that Mr. Heere had asked him to meet him at his house some time today. Since Michael was already late, he reasoned that it didn’t really matter how much later he was. He tossed his backpack onto the floor by the door and headed to Jeremy’s house instead.

 

Mr. Heere opened the door and stared at Michael for a moment in shocked silence. “Michael?” he asked, once he found his voice. “Are you alright, son? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

Michael shrugged. “Yeah, but I was already late, and I remembered that you wanted to talk to me about something. So I came here first.”

Mr. Heere sighed. “You shouldn’t be skipping school. But since you’re here, you might as well come in.” he stepped back and let Michael into his house.

Once they were both situated in the living room, Michael looked over at Mr. Heere. “So, what’s up?”

“Well, Jeremy told me that his relationship with you has become more, ah, romantic, recently.” he paused, looking at Michael for confirmation.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Michael said awkwardly. “Yeah, we’re… yeah.”

“I’m happy for you boys, I really am, but I just don’t know if Jeremy is ready for that kind of emotional commitment right now. He’s been through a lot, Michael. I just wanted to make sure you’re sure about this. I worry about Jeremy, and I don’t know if he’s making decisions that are right for him. I just want you to think about that.”

“Mr. Heere,” Michael said quietly. “Are you suggesting I break up with Jeremy?”

“No! No, Michael, that isn’t what I’m saying. I just want you to be careful. Relationships are difficult, especially when your partner is mentally ill.”

Michael studied the curiously sad look on Mr. Heere’s face and couldn’t help but wonder if his advice came from more than just a place of concern. “Mr. Heere, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, of course, but what happened to your wife?”

“That’s very personal, Michael,” he said, looking away. Michael opened his mouth to apologize, but Mr. Heere continued. “You’re basically family, and you’re old enough to know, so I’ll tell you. I always meant to tell Jeremy, but he never asked.” he sighed, taking a moment to prepare himself. “Hannah was a wonderful woman, Michael. But we had a difficult relationship. She struggled with mental health and I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t there for her like I should’ve been. Her sisters eventually talked her into divorcing me. I don’t blame them. Hannah deserved better. Her family cut off contact with us as soon as the divorce was finalized. Her older sister called me once. Last fall. She told me that Jeremy and I were welcome to come to Hannah’s funeral.”

“Suicide,” Michael whispered sadly. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Heere.”

“I am too, Michael. But I want you to learn from my mistakes. You and Jeremy care deeply for each other and I have no doubt that will transition wonderfully into a romantic relationship. But be careful, Michael.”

“Of course, Mr. Heere,” Michael promised. “I’ll see you later, I guess.”’

“Goodbye, Michael,” Mr. Heere said, his face still turned away. Michael let himself out and drove to school at last, thinking heavily about what Mr. Heere had said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back boys. it's been a hot second since i've written anything but hope you like it


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the end, friends. going out with a scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so uh, this is it. this is the end of this wild ride. i can't really put triggers b/c it might ruin the end but like oh boy we got some heavy stuff here.

Michael desperately wanted to sleep, but he couldn’t keep his eyes closed. He was just too damn excited. Jeremy would be coming home tomorrow. Everyone had been rushing around all day to get everything ready for him, and although Michael was exhausted from the work, he couldn’t sleep.Defeated, he eventually got out of bed and climbed out his window to flat part of the roof right outside. He and Jeremy used to sit out here and smoke weed, during the summer if Michael’s moms weren’t home. But now, alone, Michael just felt lonely. The wintery air made him shiver and he wrapped his arms around himself. It was different, being on the roof, alone, in the winter. It was cold and lonely. In summer, with Jeremy, it was warm and carefree. Michael shook his head and climbed back inside, shivering. At least, he thought to himself as he climbed back into bed, he was considerably more tired.

 

*“Welcome home, Jeremy!” the crowd cheered. Michael was stuck in the crowd and couldn’t see Jeremy, but he fought his way through to get to the center. The crowd was resistant but he made his way through. When he got there, he stopped in horror. Jeremy was standing in the center of the crowd, his features flashing rapidly through different expressions, almost like a glitch in a video game. He slowly turned to face Michael and his expression settled abruptly on a crazed half-smile, his head cocked to the side. “You,” he growled, in Jeremy’s voice. Suddenly, Jeremy’s hands were tight around Michael’s throat. “You lied,” he whispered repeatedly. Michael struggled and gasped for air, but he couldn’t break free. The more he tried to scream, the louder Jeremy’s taunts became. His vision slowly went dark as the voice faded away.*

 

Michael woke up, screaming at the top of his lungs, his blanket wrapped around his neck. Not tight enough to choke him, but it was certainly uncomfortable. He wrestled away from it and sat on his bed, head in his hand, unable to get the dream out of his mind. His mothers burst into the room seconds later, smothering him with concern. He brushed them off, reassuring them with a strained smile that it was just a normal nightmare. Trying to act normal, he followed them to the kitchen and ate breakfast, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Why the hell would he have dreamed something like that. And especially on what was objectively the best day of his life. He went through the rest of the morning on autopilot, waiting for Mr. Heere to drop Jeremy off.

The wait was agonizing. Michael was half-convinced that something had gone wrong and Jeremy wasn’t coming when there was a knock on the door. Michael opened it, holding his breath, and only exhaled when he saw that it was indeed Jeremy and his father. Before he could even move, Jeremy threw himself at Michael, hugging him. Michael staggered back but returned the hug. “Jere,” he whispered. “Fuck, babe, I missed you so much.”

Jeremy nodded in agreement, hugging Michael even tighter. “I almost thought I’d never see you again,” he whispered back.

“Aw, Jere, you know I’d always come see you,” Michael reassured him. “Anyway, I want to give you that gift.”

“Oh yeah!” Jeremy smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that.”

Michael smiled and led Jeremy upstairs to his room, where he had the journal kept safe in his desk. “Here, Jere. I made this for you.” He handed to him and they sat together on the floor, reminiscing as they flipped through the pages.

“This is so cute, Micah,” Jeremy smiled, closing the book. “I love it.”

“I love you,” Michael suddenly blurted out, then clapped his hand over his mouth, eyes widening.

Jeremy turned red, surprised. “I, uh, I… I…” he stammered.

“Oh god, Jeremy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that…” Michael whispered apologetically.

“It’s, uhm, it’s okay,” Jeremy mumbled. “Um, I love you too?”

Michael sighed and hugged him. “Let’s just forget about that for now. I wanted to show you the new puppy.”

Jeremy perked up. “Nice! I can’t wait.” he stood up with Michael and the two walked downstairs, hand in hand.

“There she is,” Michael smiled at a small brown puppy, who had run to the childproof gate as the boys approached. “Her name’s Heidi.”

“She’s adorable,” Jeremy whispered, crouching down to pet the puppy, who yipped at the attention, pushing her head into Jeremy’s hand. “Your mom must love her.”

“She does.” Michael smiled. “She was so happy to get her, she’s wanted a dog for so long.”

‘ “Wish I could have a dog,” Jeremy murmured. “But dad’s allergic.”

“Aw. That’s too bad,” Michael said quietly. “You can come here and see Heidi whenever you want.”

“Thanks, Micah,” Jeremy whispered, standing up and wrapping his arms around Michael.

“Of course. Anything for you, Jeremy,” Michael whispered back, pressing a quick kiss to the top of Jeremy’s head.

“Micah,” Jeremy started quietly. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

Michael thought for a moment. “Me neither, actually.”

“Do you, want to, maybe, change that?” Jeremy offered shyly.

“If you want to,” Michael said, smiling at him. Jeremy nodded enthusiastically.

“Very much,” he whispered, inching closer to Michael.

“Me too,” Micahel murmured, reminding himself to breathe. He leaned in as well, hesitantly pressing his lips to Jeremy’s for a brief second.

Jeremy burst out laughing, his face going red. “Michael. That was the worst kiss ever.”

Michael blushed. “Bet I can do better.”

“Bet,” Jeremy taunted, lightly brushing his fingers across Michael’s cheek. Michael leaned in again, this time with more confidence. They stayed like that for a moment, arms entwined, before Jeremy pulled away, gasping for breath.

“Breathe, baby. Breathe,” Michael said quietly, smiling tenderly at him.

“That was better, Micah,” Jeremy said at last, when he had caught his breath. “It was… nice.”

“Glad you approve,” Michael joked, hugging Jeremy. “Sorry I fucked up the first one, I was nervous.”

“I know, Michael. I was too. And it wasn’t that bad.”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Michael said, smiling. “It sucked.”

Jeremy laughed. “Yeah, alright, it did. But it’s okay. I still love you.”

Michael blushed again. “Aw, Jere, you’re too sweet.”

“You too, Michael,” Jeremy smiled, hugging him. “You too.”

 

Michael looked around the table, smiling at everyone. The Heeres used to come over for dinner weekly, and Michael had missed the routine. But here they were, everyone sitting around the rarely-used dining room table, smiling serenely. Jeremy was sitting next to Michael, as he always did, but this time their hands were entwined under the table.

“It’s so nice to have you two back here,” Ms. Mell said, beaming at Jeremy. “We missed these little get-togethers.”

“Me too,” Jeremy said quietly, smiling back. “I missed all of you so much.”

Michael’s mothers both smiled at Jeremy, then glanced at Mr. Heere, who was watching his son with a curious look on his face. Michael couldn’t quite place it, so he elected to ignore it.

After everyone finished, they all gathered in the living room to play board games, as per tradition. Usually, they played Clue or Life, depending on the day. Today, though, everyone but Mr. Heere elected to play Twister. After seeing that he was vastly outnumbered, Mr. Heere, sighed good-naturedly and agreed to play.

The hours flew past, everyone laughing and enjoying themselves, occasionally collapsing into hysterics when someone ended up in an awkward position or fell. At long last, Mr. Heere announced that he was “fuckin’ tired” and headed off to the guest room. Michael’s mothers agreed and went to their room as well, leaving Michael and Jeremy alone in the living room to clean up. Once they finished, Michael turned to Jeremy.

“You wanna go hang out on our roof spot? It’s been a while since we’ve been up there.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jeremy agreed, following Michael to his room. Michael pushed the window open and shivered as the cold air blew into his room. The two boys climbed out, huddling together on the roof.

After a few minutes of silence, Michael felt Jeremy tense up beside him. “Jere? Yo okay?” Michael asked, turning to him. “Are you cold? We can go back inside.” Jeremy didn’t answer, filling Michael with dread. “Jere. Baby. Is everything okay?”

Jeremy turned to face Michael, who gasped quietly. He recognized the fury in Jeremy’s eyes. “Hi, Jason,” Michael mumbled.

“Shut up,” Jason commanded, fixing Michael with an angry stare. “I waited so damn long for this opportunity. I don’t want to listen to you while I fulfill my dreams.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael whispered, inching away from Jason, but there wasn’t anywhere for him to go.

“Let’s see. You helped him get that pill. And then, you helped him get rid of it. All you do is hurt people. First Jeremy, and then me.”

“No!” Michael cried. “I love Jeremy!”

“You lie!” Jason cried, trembling with fury. “You don’t love him. You know he needs you, so you stick around. You’d rather be anywhere else than with him!”

“Shut up! What do you know. You don’t know anything about me.”

“Oh, quite the contrary, Michael Mell. I know everything about you. I know that you deserve to die.”

“What! Holy shit, oh my god, what!” Michael screamed, frozen with fear. “I- I do not!”

“All you’ve done is hurt Jeremy,” Jason whispered, creeping closer to Michael. “I’m sorry, Michael, but I can’t let you continue doing that.” he paused for a moment. “Actually, I’m not sorry. I’ve hated you since I first saw you. You undo all of my work. Jeremy could’ve been great, but you had to go and fuck it up.” he was yelling now, mere inches from Michael. “Jeremy had all he wanted. He had the girl, he had the popularity he always wanted. You ruined all of it.”

“No. I never meant to hurt him. I love hi-” Michael was cut short by Jason suddenly clenching his hands around Michael’s throat.

“You lied,” he whispered. “Fuck you, Michael Mell. And damn you to hell.”

Michael struggled, but Jason was unrelenting. Michael's struggling grew weaker, until he eventually croaked out, "Jeremy..." and fell unconscious, never to wake up. Fairly sure he had succeed but wanting to be absolutely sure Michael was dead, Jason pushed Michael off the roof into the snow and sat down on the roof, relaxing now that his deed was done.

 

Minutes later, everyone in the vicinity was woken by Jeremy Heere’s bloodcurdling scream as he looked down and was greeted by the sight of Michael Mell’s body lying lifeless in the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, y'all. if you wanna suggest ideas for future fics, you can message me on tumblr @aestheticdragonss. also, i have another story in the works, a sci-fi, personal-character futuristic kinda thing with a similar idea, so if you'd want me to post that lmk in the comments.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! Comments are appreciated and more chapters to come.


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